JI, PTI join hands against ‘rigging’ in Karachi polls

KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Karachi, and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday joined hands against ‘electoral rigging’ in the local government (LG) elections after a JI delegation, led by Engr Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, visited the PTI secretariat.

PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi and PTI Karachi President Bilal Gaffar welcomed the JI delegation. The two sides discussed in detail the delay and difference of results on Form 11 and 12, issued by the presiding officers and the controversial results announced by the returning officers. The two parties agreed on the mayor’s election in the city council and decided to constitute a four-member joint scrutiny committee, two members from each side, to steer the joint struggle against rigging.

Following the meeting, the JI and PTI leaders held a joint press conference. Hafiz Naeemur Rehman told the media the JI was looking forward to working together with all political parties, despite all political and ideological differences, for betterment of Karachiites and development of the city.

The JI leader said results were still pending despite passage of almost one week to the local government elections, whereas the decision on six union councils would be taken on January 25 after the hearing by the Election Commission of Pakistan.

He maintained that the JI had been writing letters to the ECP over mismanagement since the beginning of the process. The JI had strong reservations over the biased returning officers and district returning officers, he said, adding that reservations became valid when the polling staffers showed reluctance to issue Form 11 and 12 after completion of balloting and counting process. The JI had also written to the ECP in connection with the delay in issuance of Form 11 and 12.

He said the PPP fraudulently claimed 15 union councils actually won by the JI. After balloting, the PPP resorted to snatching the JI success in the name of recounting. He said the JI made it clear to the PPP leadership that the party would not enhance the scope of talks until the mandate of JI was accepted in full.

Rehman said the JI and PTI had decided to launch a joint struggle to recover the seats fraudulently taken over by the PPP with the help of post poll naked rigging tactics. PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi told the media the two parties decided to take all constitutional, legal and democratic courses for safeguarding of their mandate.